AN
and Disclaimer: I don't own SW or any of its characters…I
just love them to pieces! I dedicate this story LVB, who gave me the
plot bunny for it. I took it and ran with it. So enjoy!

Farewell…

"Daddy,
where are we?" 7-year-old Ben Skywalker asked as the Jade Shadow
landed on an arid planet.

"Tatooine,"
Luke answered his son as he finished landing their ship.

"Never
heard of it," Ben said scrunching up his nose as he looked through
the windows of the Jade Shadow. How could anyone live on a
planet like this?

Luke
laughed and stood up. As he walked past Ben, he messed up his son's
hair slighty. "Come on Ben. There's something I want to show
you."

Ben
scrambled out of the co-pilot's seat and followed his father out of
the ship. Once they had left the ship, they made their way towards a
run down dwelling of some kind. Luke took a deep breath the closer
they got to his childhood home. This is when he wished that Mara had
come with them, instead of staying behind on Denon.

But
Ben had to know about his family history. He knew a little, but not
all of it.

He
knew that his grandfather was Darth Vader. But he didn't know that before Anakin Skywalker became
Darth Vader had once been part of a family. It might have been a
broken family, yet it was a family nonetheless.

"Why
are we going towards that old home?" Ben asked.

"That's
where I grew up." Luke said smiling.

"Really?"
Ben asked looking up at his father, wide eyed.

"Yes."

"But
why did you leave daddy?"

"Well
that's a long story."

"It
was a long trip here daddy. And we still have to go home." Ben said
in a straightforward voice that reminded Luke of Mara. He chuckled at
his son softly.

"How
about I show you what we came here for, then I will explain
everything."

"Okay!"

Luke
took a hold of his son's hand and led him towards the side of the
dwelling where there were four small stone markers. Each marker had a
flat surface with some kind of writing that Ben had never seen
before.

"What
are these?" he asked.

"They
are grave markers. Your great-grandparents, as well as your great
aunt and uncle are buried here."

Ben
looked at the stones with a confused look on his face. "But where
are grandma and grandpa?" he then asked.

"You
see your grandma was a senator from Naboo," Luke said sitting down
on the ground. Ben sat next to him. "So she was buried on Naboo.
Remember when we went there?"

Luke
went on to explain, to the best of his fatherly ability, what took
place on the second Death Star and how Darth Vader became Anakin
Skywalker right before he died. Ben had heard part of the story
before, but never in such detail.

By
the time Luke had finished the story, the twin suns of Tatooine were
slowly setting. "Come on. We better get going. Night time on
Tatooine isn't a safe time," Luke said picking up his tired
little boy and carried him back to the Jade Shadow.

As
Luke and Ben made their way back towards the ship, something dawned
on Luke. This wasn't just a trip to teach Ben about his family
history, but also a trip for Luke to say goodbye to the ghosts of his
past. He had always been worried that his son may follow the path
that his father did. But now it didn't seem that way so much.

Now
Ben knew most of his family history. Well except the part where his
mother had been sent to kill his father. But that was a completely
different story for another time.

"Daddy
are we ever going to come back to Tatooine?" Ben asked as Luke lay
him down on one of the bunks aboard the Jade Shadow.

"Perhaps
someday. But you go to sleep right now."

Ben
turned over and fell fast asleep. Luke smiled gently then kissed his
son's forehead goodnight as he left the bunk and headed back out
into the starless Tatooine night. There he starred out over the rough
and rocky terrain of Tatooine.

The
planet was much like his own life had been for the most part –
rough and rocky. But then things became smooth and peaceful after the
war with the Yuuzhan Vong had ended and Ben was able to be with him
and Mara all the time.

The
more he thought about it, the more he had been right earlier. This
was his opportunity to say goodbye to the past and focus on the
future.

Yet
it was two shimmering blue lights off in the distance that reminded
him that the past was always there to visit at least. But never to
relive. He smiled gently before boarding the Jade Shadow and
preparing to head home.

Obi-Wan
Kenobi placed his hand on Anakin Skywalker's shoulder. "Come on.
Its time to head back Anakin. Padmé is waiting."

Anakin
smiled gently. "I know," he said turning and following Obi-Wan
back into the living Force.

That
day Luke had made his father proud. Anakin knew how hard it was to
face your past. And Luke had done a wonderful job at it. Before
disappearing into the Force, he took one last look at the Jade
Shadow.

"Farewell
my son…"

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